CLAVERHOUSE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14084, 12 December 1907, Page 2

CLAVERHOUSE.

LAN MACLAREX'S LAST STORY [Published by Arrangement] BOOK I. CHAPTER IL—THE BATTLE OP SIXKFFK. It was only in the morning 011 tho first day of August, and darkness was still heavy upon the camp, when Grimond stooped over his master and had to shake him vigorously before Claverhouse awoke. " It's time you were up, Maistei- John; the Prince's guards are gatlirin', and sime will be fallin' in; that's their trumpets Eoiuidiu'. Ye will need a bite before ye start, and here's a. small breakfast, pairt of which I saved oot 0' that stramnsli yesterday—sail 1 the blast threatened to leave neither meat nor lodgin', and pairt I happened to light upon this mornin' when I was takin' a bit walk through the camp with my lantern." Grimond spread out a fairly generous breakfast of half a fowl, a piece of ham, Eomo excellent cheese, -with good while bread and a bottle of vine, and held the lantern that bis master might eat .villi stale comfort, if it had to be with more haste.

" ," Do you ken, Jock, where I was when you wakened me, and flashed tho Unlit upon my face? in bonnie Glen Ogilvio, where everything is at its best-to-day. I dreamed that I was off to

Sidlaw Hill, to see what was doins with the muir-fowl, and I felt the good Scots ■air blowing -upon mv face. This is a black '* wakening, Jock, but I've slept worse, and >'you liave done well for breakfast. Ye "'never came-by it honestly, man. Havo .. *ve been raiding?" . • "Providence guided me, Maister John, , and I might have given a little assistance mysel'. As I was crossing thro' .1 ■ corner of the Dutch camp I' caught a glimpse of this roast chuckie, with some other I Mts o' things, and it cam into my mind that that was somebody's breakfast. Whether he had taken all ho wanted or whither he was going to be too late ■was-na my business, but the Lord de- • livered that fowl into my hands, and I considered it a ieniptin' 0' Providence no to tak it, to say nothin' 0' the white ■ bread. The wine and the ham I savit frae yesterday." You auld thief, I iniuht havo guessed where you picked up the breakfast. I only, hope 'twas a heavy-built. Dutchman who could starve for 'a week without Buffering, and not a lean, hungry Scot ■ who needed some breakfast to put strength in him for a day's fighting, if God be good enough to send it. Isn't it a regiment of the Scots brigade which i 6 lyintr next to ns, Jock?" ti It is," replied that worthy servitor, ''and I/was hopin' that it was Captain MacKay'R rations which were-given into iny hands, so to 6ay. by the Higher Power. I was standing behind you, Maister John, last nicht wlien you and llim was argling-bargling, and if over I saw a cunning twa.-faced Covenanter, it's that mail. Thev say he has got a good word with the Prince' through his Dutch wifo, and where you givo that kind ot . , man an inch he will take'an el]. It's no for me to give advice, me bein' in my place and you in. yours. But I promised yonr honourable mither that I wouldna seo you come to mischief if I could help it, .and I am sair mistaken if yon man will .no be a'mercilous and persistent enemy. May the Almichty forbid it, but if MacKay of Seourie can hinder it there will be little advancement for Graham of Claverhouse in this army." ' You are/ a dour and suspicions devil, Jock, and you'vo always been the same • ever since I remember you. Captain MncKay is a Whig and a- Presbvterian: but-' he is a- good soldier, and I wish I had been more civil to liiin last night. Wo are here to fight for the Prince of Orange and to beat the French, and let the best man win 1 it -will be time enough ■ to quarrel when we get back to Scotland. Kindly Scotlj should bury tliejr differences and stand shoulder to shoulder in a foreign land."

"That- is bonnie talk, laird, lmt dinna forget there's been t-wa kinds of Scot- in tie land since tlio Reformation, and there will be twa to the end of the chapter, and they'll never asree till the day of judgment, and then they'll be on opposite sides. There was Queen. Mary and there Tvas John Knox, there ,was that falseli ear t«<l loon Arcjylo, iliat. j r e pave a grand nip at the fire last nicht, and' there ■was the head o' your hoose, the gallant {Marquis—peace to his soul. Now there's the Camegies and the Gordons and tlio rest-o' the royal families in the north-east, and the sour-blooded Covenanters down in the west, and it's, no in the nature o' things that- tliey should agree anv more than oil and water. As for me, the very face of a Presbyterian Whig makes me sick. I}ut there's the trumpet again." and Grimond helped his master to put on 'his arms. "I'vo been awfu' favoured this liiornin', Maistcr John, for what diy ye think? I've secured noo less than a baggage waggon for oorselfs. The driver was nboot in the dark and didna know where Hie was going, so I asked him if he wasna coming for tlio baggage of the English gentleman, to say naething of a Scots •gentleman. When he was trying to understand me, and I was trying to put some nense into him, tip comes Mr Carlton, and I explained the situation to him. He told tie driver in his own language that I would guide him to the spot, and we mid tljp .ofher men arc packing the lrholo of the sreptlemen's lug.iage and ane or twa copiforls in the shape of meat and bedding whie)i the fools round about us didna seem to notice, or were going to leave. That waggon, Mr John, is a crownin' mercy, and I'm to sit beside tlio driver, and it will not bo my blame if there's no a tent and a supper wherever Providence sends us this nielit." And Jock went off in great feather to look after Tiis acquisition, while his master joined liis comrades of tlio Prince's guard. • As the day rapidly breaks, thev find themselves pawing from the level into a broken country. The ground is rising, and in the distance they can see defiles through which the army must make its /way. Tlio vanguard, as tiiey learn from one of the Prince's aides-de-camp, is composed of tlio Imperial corps commanded by Count Souches, and must by this time bo passing through the narrows. In frontare the Dutch troops, who nro under the immediate command of the Commander-in-Chief, the Prince of Grange. The English Volunteers, being the next to the Prince's regiment of Guards, followed close upon the main body of tlio army, and behind them trailed the lonir. cumbrous baggage train. The together with'6omc details of various kinds and nations, consisted of the Spanish division, which was commanded by Prince Vaudemont. As 'hoy camo to liiglier ground Claverhouse began to see the lie of the country and to express his fears to Carlton. I don't know how you judge things," said Claverliouse, "but- I would not be

quite at my easo if I were his Highness of onuigo, in command of tlio army, and Tntli more than one nation's interest- at stake, instead of a. poor devil of a Volunteer, with little juy. loss reputation, and no responsibility. If wo were marching across a plain and could see twenty miles round, or if there were no enemy within striking reach, well, (lion, this were a pleasant march from Neville to Binch, for that is where I'm told we are going. But, faith, I don't like the eight of tins country in which we are being entangled. If Condo has any head, and he is not a fool, he could arrange a fine ambuscade, find catch tboso mighty and vain-glorious Imperialists ar.d that fool Souchcs like Tats in a trap. Or he might make a sudden attack on the flank and cut our army into two, as you divide a caterpillar crawling along the ground." "The General knows what lie is about, 110 doubt," replies Carlton with true English phlegm; "he has trade his plan, and I suppose the cavalry have been scouting. It's their business who have got the command to arrange the march and the attack, and ours to do tlio fighting. It will bo 6oon enough for us to arrange tho tactics when we get to bo generals. say you to that, Mr Graham? TWo's no sign of the enemy at anyrate, and Souchcs must- lx .well in through tlio yalluyjl

"No," said Graham, "there arc no Frenchmen lo he seen, hut they may lie (here behind the hill on our right, and Quick enough to show themselves when the lime comes. Oil! I like this hit of country, for it mir.ds me of the Braes of Angus, and I hale a. land where all is flat and smooth. liy heaven! what a chance there is for am- commander who knows how lo use a,hill country. See ye here, comrade, suppose this were Scotland, and ■ this were an armv of blavk Whigs, making their way to do some evil work .'titer their heart's desire against their King and Church, and I had the dealing with them. All 1 would ask would he a. couple of Highland clans and a regiment of loyal gentlemen,, well-nionnted ar.d armed. T would wait concealed hehind yon wood up there near the sky-line till jiioso Imperialists were fairly up tlio glen and out of sight and the Dutch were plodding their way in. Then I'd launch the Highlanders, sword in hand, down the slope of that bill, and cut off tho rearguard, and take the baggage at a swoop, and in_ half an hour the armv would be disabled and tlic third part of it put out of action.

"What about the Imperial troops and the Dutch, my General'/ - " said Carlton, much interested in Clavcrhouse's plan of battle. "You can't take an army in detachments just as you please." "You can with Highliyiders and eavalry, and then having struck your blow retire as quickly as yon came. Faith, there would be 110 ontion ahout the retiring with your Highlanders; when,they srot hold of the baggage thej- woidd do nothing more. After every man had lifted as much as lie could carry he would make for the lulls, and leave the other troops to do as tlicv pleased. An army of H.iidilanders is quickly gathered and quickly dispersed, and the great point of attraction is the. baggage. Conde has no' Highlanders, the worse for liim"and tin better for us, but he lias plenty of light troops—infantry as Weir as cavalry,—and if he doesn't toko this chance be ought' to be discharged with disgrace. But see there, what make you of that Carlton?" "What and where?" said Carlton, looking in the direction Claverhouse pointed. "I see the brushwood, and it may be that there are troops behind, but my eyes cannqt detect them."

"Watch a moment that'place where the leaves are darker and thicker, and that tree stands out; you can catch a glitter, just- an instant, an then it disappears. What do you say to that?'' "By the Lord!" cried Carlton, who was standing in his stirrups and shading his eyes with his hand, " itV the glitter of a breastplate. There's one trooper at anyrate in that wood, and if there is one there, may he hundreds. What think yon?"'

"What I've been expecting for hours. Those are the videttes of the French army, and they have been watching us all the time our vanguard was pafsing. I'll stake a.year's rental of the lands of Claverhouse that- if,we could see mi the other side of that hill -we would find Conde's troops making ready for an attack."

"I will not say but that you are right, and I don't like the situation nor feel as comfprtable as I did half an hour ago. Do you think that the general in command knows of this danger, or has heard that the French outposts are so near?" "If you ask ine, Mr Carlton,, I would say that those Dutch officers don't know that there is a Frenchman within 10 miles; they lire "nod al drill, and steady in battle, but. their minds ate as hoa-vy as their bodies. The idea of fighting is to deploy according to a book of (jrill on a parade ground; you cannot expect nlon who live on tho flat, to understand hills. That wood, and Claverhouse was looking at the hill intently, "is simply Ml of men and horses, and within an hour, or perhaps less, you will see a pretty' attack. Aren't we at their mercy?" Claverhouse pointed forward to the crest of a little hill over which the Dutch brigade were passing in marching formation, and backward to the 'lumbering train of baggage-waggons. '"Whom the gods wish to destroy they first, make.mad,' is a. Latin proverb I picked up at St-. Andrew's University, and one of the few scraps of knowledge 1 carried away from the good old place. They might- at least have thrown out sonic of our cavalry on the right to drawfire from that wood, and enable us to find their position. It's not overly pleasant to jog quietly along as if one wfre riding up the Carse of (Jo\rie to Perth fair, when it's far more likely we are riding into the shambles like a herd of fat bullocks going to Davie Saunders, the Dundee butcher."

"See you here, friend," cried Carlton, "I am not in a mind to be liken at a disadvantage and ridden down by those Frenchmen when we are not in formation. They have us at a disadvantage in any case, but, by my life, we ought at anyrato to deploy to the right, and seize that higher ground, or else they will send us into' that marshland that I see forward there on tlte left. If they do, there will be'some throats cut, and it might be yours or mine. What say you, Mr Graham, to ride forward anil tell ono of the olEceis in attendance 011 his Highness what we have seen, and then let them do as they please?" " I have nothings to say against- that, but- I know one man that will not go, and that is John Graham of Claverhouse. It may be vain pride, or it may not, but I will not have the shame of telling my tale to one of those Dutchmen as if you were speaking to a painted monument, and then have him order you back to your plncc .as if yon wore a mutineer; my hand would be itching for the sworilhandle before all was done, and so I'll just be doing. But I will be ready when the cloud breaks from you hill, and it's not far oil the bursting now." And Graham pointed out that the glitter was repeated at- several points, as when the pun is reflected from broken dishes on a hillside.

"You Scots are a proud race," laughed Carlton, "and quick.to take offence. We English have a temper, too, but we are nearer 1 to those Dutchmen in our nature. I'll not see the anny ambuscaded wit-b----out a warning. If tliey take it we shall make a better fight, and for tho fiist hour it will be. bad enough anyway till the vanguard are brought back, and it' they won't take it, why, we-have done our duty, and we will have to look after ourselves." And Carlton spurred his horse and cantered forward to whore the headquarters staff were riding with the troop which was colled tlio Scots brigade, because it was largely oflicered and to some extent manned by Scotsmen, and in which MacKay had a captain's commission.

In some 15 minutes Carlton rejoined Claverhouse, red and annoyed, and on tho sight of him Qlaverhouse laughed. ', Without offence, good comrade, 1 take it. that- you have been thanked for vour trouble or been promised promotion. Sworn at, I dare sa-y, if those godly Jutchmen aro allowed to wrap out an oath. At anyrate, you hare been told to attend to your own work and leave our wise generals to manage theirs, eh?" "Your are right, Graham. I wish I had bitten off my tongue rather than reported the matter. I got- hold of an aide-de-camp, and I pointed out- what- we had seen, and lie spoke to me as if I was a boy with my heart in my mouth for fear I would be shot- every minute. For a set of pig-headed fools —" " Well, it would not have mattered much, for the news, as it- happened, would kye come 100 late. See, the attack has begun; whatever be the issue of the battle before night, it- will be one way or another with us in an hour." As he spoke Claverhouse began to put himself in order, seeing that- his pistols were ready in the holsters, his sword loose in the scabbard, and the girths of his saddle tight.

"It will be a sharp piece of work for us, and some good sword play before it is done,"

Suddenly from the wood a line of cavalry emerged, followed by another and still another, till at least "three regiments were on the side of the hill, and behind them it was evident there was a large lwdy of troops. By this time the staff had taken alarm, and an officer had galloped up with orders that the English Volunteers and Dutch cavalry should deplov to the right, and orders were also sent to"the Spaniards in the rear to advanoe rapidly and cover the baggage. The Dutch troops in front who had entered the defile were arrested, and. begun. to march back, and an urgent

message was sent to the Imperialists to follow the Dutch in case the French should make a. general at lock. Before the Dutch troops bad returned to the open, and long before the Imperialists could he in action, the French, crossing the hill with immense rapidity and covered by a screen of cavalry, attacked the Spanish rear-guard before it was able to take up a proper form of . defence, and though the Spaniards fought with their accustomed courage, and no blame could be attached to the dispositions made in haste by Vaudcmont, this division of the army was absolutely routed, and one. distinguished Spanish general, the Marquis of Assentar, was killed when cheering his men to the defence. The defeat of the Spaniards left the baggage train unprotected, and the French troops fell upon it with great ■/.est;-indeed, Cl;tverhotts2 that uiglit declared that' the Highlanders themselves could not have raided more heartily or more swiftly. Nor did the Spaniards, when once they had been beaten and scattered, and fighting was 110 longer of any use, disdain to help themselves to the plunder. Grimond was furious as he saw his waggon in danger, and endeavoured to rally some odds and ends of flying Spaniards and terrified waggon-drivers to defend his cherished possessions. But he was left to do eo hiini-elf, and, after beating otf tho two first Frenchmen who came to investigate, and being wounded in a- general light with the next lot, he was obliged to leave the, .possessions of tho English Volunteers to their fate and set off to discover how it fared with his master.

The Battle of Sineffe was to last all day, and before evening the two armies would be generally engaged ; 18,000 men were to fall 011 both sides, and there were to be many liot encounters, but the sharpest teok place at the centre and early in the day. The cavalry, with the English Volunteers, were thrown forward to hinder the advance of the French cavalry who, while their infantiy were dealing with the Spanish corps, were being hurled at tho centre in order to cut the armv in two and confine the Dutch troops to the defile, or if they emerged from the defile, to crush them before-they could deoloy on the broken countrv.

"Where do you take it is the point ol conflict? asked CaVlton as the regiment of the guards -with, which they were serving went- forward at a sharp trot across tile level ground, on which the French cavalry ' should soon be appearing, " Where is his Highness himself, for I can 'get no sight of the rest of the Dutch cavalry? "To the left, I take it, where the fight has already begun. Do you not hear the firing? and I seem to catch some 6hout6, as if the Dutch and tlw French were already meeting. Mind you, Carlton, his Highness may have been' t-oo confident and laid the army open to attack, but be can tell where the heart of the situation is, and his business will bo to resist, the French onslaught till Ik infantry are in position. Just as I thought, we lire to go to his aid, and in ten minutes, or my name is not Graham, we shall have as much as we want. In less than that space of time the regiment now galloping found themselves in the immediate rear of tho fighting line, and opened out and prepared to advance. In front of them three regiments of Dutch cavalry were being beaten back by a French brigade, and just when the English T olunteers arrived the French received a large acccsaion of strength, and the Dutch, broken and ridden down by weight of men and horses, were driven back. It was in vain that their colonel ordered his men to charge, for in 50 yards the mass of Dutch cavalry in front were thrown upon, them and broke their line. It was jw a man to man and hand to hand conflict for a few minutes, and Claverhousc, when lie had disentangled himself from the hurly-burly, and forced his way through the mass, was in immediate conflict with a French officer in front of their line, whom lie disarmed by a eleven sword trick which he had learned from a master of arms in the French service. A French soldier missed Claverhouse's head by a. hail's breadth, while he, swerving, struck down another oil his right. Carlton had .disappeared, Hales had been wounded, but in the end escaped with his life. Collier and Claverhouse were now in the open space behind the first line of Ihe Irene]] cavalry, ami they could see more than one Dutch officer and some of the Dutch troopers also in the same dangerous position. Graham was considering what to do when he caught sight, a short distance off an the left, of a figure he seemed to know: it was an officer riding slowly along the line as in command, and takin'c no heed of the many incidents happening round him. . °

Collier, cried Graham, see you who that is among the French soldiers alone and at- their mercy? As lam a living man it is the Prince himself. Good God i how did he get- there, and what is lie going to do?"

While Graham was speaking the Prince ot Urange, who was now quite close to urn, but- gave no sign that bo recognised turn, suddenly threw ont an order in iTench to the regiment behind which lie was riding, and which was hewing its wav hrough a muss of Dutch. He called on them to halt, and reform, and their officeis supposing him to be one of their generals Who hail arrived from headquarters, set to work to extricate their men from the malee. The Princc passed with the utmost- coolness through their line, as if to see what was doing in front, while Claverliouse and Collier followed him as if tliey were attached. As soon as lie got to the open siwee in front, for what- remained of the Dutch were in rapid retreat, and were scattering in all directions he put spurs to his horse and shSuting to Uaverhouse and Collier to follow rapidly, [or his trick hadi already been detected, he galloped forward t 0 the place where the crowd of fugitives was'thinnest, that lie might as soon as possible rejoin his stall and resume command when above all times a general was needed. A French ollicer, however, had recognised him as he passed through the line, and now with some dozen soldiers was pursuing at- full speed. The Prince's horse bad been wounded 111 two places and was also blown with exertion, and passing over pome maisliy ground had not strength to clear it, but plunged helplessly in tlic soft soil. In two minutes the French would have been upon them and made the greatest capture of the war. Clttverhoiise, leaping off his horse, asked the Prince to mount, who instantly, and without- mora than a nod, sprang into the saddle -and escapM when the Frenchmen, were within a few yards. Claverhouse fired at the i) rench otlieer, and missed him but brought (town his honse,' which did just as well, and Collier sent his sword through tho shoulder of the French soldier who folloucd next, Claverliouse, seizing this muiute of delay, ran with all bis might for a hedge, over which dismounted stragglers were climbing in hot- haste, and made for the nearest- gap. It was blocked by a tall and heavily-built Dutch dragoon, who could neither get through nor back, and was swearing fearfully. 'It s maist awfu' to see a Christian man misusing the Lord's mercies like tlwt," and at tlio sound of that- familiar voice Clayerhoitfie turned to find Grimond by his side, who had been 1 out in the hope ot finding his master, and had certainly come to his aid at tlio right time. " Would onybody but- a blunderin' fool of a Dutchman think of blockin' a passage; when the troops are in retreat-?' 11 we canna get through him, we had better get ower him. I've helped ye across a dyke afore, Maistcr John, and 1 there ye go." Claverhouse, jumping 011 Grimond, who made a back for him, went- over the Dutchman's shoulders. Then he seized the Dutchman by his arms, while Grimond acted as a battering-ram behind; so tliey pulled what- remained of him, like a cork out of the mouth of a bottle, and Grimond followed his master. Collier, who had been covering the retreat, left his horse to its fate, and ran by the same convenient- gap.

"To think o' the perversity n' that Dutchman obstruct in' a right o' way, esiwcially on sieh a busy day. wi' his muckile unmannerly carcase, as* if lie had been, a Highland cattlo beast. Dod! he would make a grand Covenanter for the cursed thrawness o' him."

That night when the English Volunteers, who had escaped with some slight wounds and the loss of their baggage, were going over the day's work, an officer attached to the Prince asked if a Scots gentleman called Mr Graham was I'rcfisnt,. JYlicn Glaverhomo rose and

saluted him. the officer said, with tie curt brevity of his kind, "His Highness desires your presence," and immediately turned and strode off in the direction ot the headquarters, while Claverhoiifie, shrugging his shoulders, followed him in his usual leisurely fashion. On arriving at the farmhouse where the Prinqe had gone after the' French had retired, Graham was immediately shown into his room. The Prince, rising and returning Claverhouse's respectful salutation, gave him one long, searching glance, 'and then said: "You did me a great service to-day and saved my person from capture, perhaps my life from death. Ido not forget any man who has done me good, and who is loyal to me. What you desire at my hands I do not know, and what it would be best to do for you I do not yet know. If you determine afUr sitae experience to remain in my service. and if you show yourself the good soldier.l take yon tc be, you will not miss promotion. That is all I will say to-night, for I know not where your ambitions may lie." The Princo looked coldly at Graham's lovelocks and Cavalier air. "Your cause may not be my cause. I bid you good evening, Jlr Graham. We shall meet again," (To bo continued.)